A number of HCA Houston Healthcare locations will collect unused or expired opioid painkillers Sept. 21 during an event HCA is calling "Crush the Crisis." The drug take-back day encourages individuals to safely and anonymously dispose of unused or expired prescription pain relievers by visiting one of 12 collection sites in the Greater Houston area in an effort to curb the misuse of these drugs, according to a Sept. 9 release.
"This is a 'no-questions-asked' collection designed to safely capture and dispose of addictive prescription pain medications before they fall into the wrong hands," said Dr. Stephen Nesbit, chief medical officer of HCA Houston Healthcare, in the release. "If you are no longer on a medication, whether or not it has expired, it needs to be removed."
Crush the Crisis collection sites will accept tablets, capsules and patches of hydrocodone, oxycodone, tramadol, codeine, fentanyl, morphine, hydromorphone and oxymorphone medications, according to HCA's Crush the Crisis website. Needles, syringes, lancets, inhalers and liquids will not be accepted.
Participating hospitals include:
- HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe
504 Medical Center Blvd., Conroe
Drop-off location: Near the women's entrance off Medical Center Boulevard.
Time: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
- HCA Houston Healthcare Kingwood
22999 Hwy. 59 N., Kingwood
Drop-off location: South Tower entrance.
Time: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
- HCA Houston Healthcare Mainland
6801 Emmett F. Lowry Expressway, Texas City
Drop-off location: near the main entrance turnabout.
Time: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
- HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center
1313 Hermann Drive, Houston
Drop-off location: valet entrance on the corner of Hermann Drive and Caroline Street.
Time: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
- HCA Houston Healthcare North Cypress
21214 Hwy. 290, Cypress
Drop-off location: under orange tents to the left of the main entrance on Hwy. 290.
Time: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
- HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest
710 FM 1960, Houston
Drop-off location: the parking lot next to the main hospital building on Cali Drive.
Time: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
- HCA Houston Healthcare Pearland
11100 Shadow Creek Parkway, Pearland
Drop-off location: main entrance turnabout.
Time: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
- HCA Houston Healthcare Southeast
4000 Spencer Hwy., Pasadena
Drop-off location: main entrance valet.
Time: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
- HCA Houston Healthcare Tomball
605 Holderrieth Blvd., Tomball
Drop-off location: drive-thru at the Heart Center entrance on Graham Drive.
Time: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
- HCA Houston Healthcare West
12141 Richmond Ave., Houston
Drop-off location: main entrance valet.
Time: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
- Texas Orthopedic Hospital
7401 S. Main St., Houston
Drop-off location: main entrance.
Time: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
- The Woman's Hospital of Texas
4720 Washington Ave., Ste. A, Houston
Drop-off location: Woman's Health Group-Heights.
Time: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
For more information on the drug take-back day, visit
www.hcahealthcare.com/crushthecrisis.
